


Life the Arathim Way

by TunnelScreamer



Category: The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance (TV)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-19
Updated: 2020-05-19
Packaged: 2021-03-02 17:41:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,142
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24270751
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TunnelScreamer/pseuds/TunnelScreamer
Summary: This story takes place after the events of the Flames of the Dark Crystal book (spoilers) additional info in the summary.
Relationships: Onica/Tavra (Dark Crystal)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 6





	Life the Arathim Way

He made her who she was. This was not a turn of phrase but an unsettling truth. He took the fragments and dreametched them into something whole. She could still remember the day it happened. The memory felt like a recurring dream and getting more and more dreamlike in each retelling.

There she was, not a reflection or a portrait, but her. It was indescribable. Her own face, cold with death. Not a person, more like a place, like a childhood home. She felt the loss of all things along with the curious feeling of pride for what she had been. So that was Tavra.

But, if she was looking at her own dead eyes, than who’s eyes did the looking? Somehow, she was here and she was also gone.

What now? Her eight stiff legs lowered her belly to the ground and curled around her as she thought. This was a whole new body to learn, most of it hidden in a tough exoskeleton. She’d hated the araithim, of all Thra’s creatures they were the most loathsome. She would have preferred to be a landstrider, but she didn’t get to choose. 

She looked up at Kylan’s massive face, not knowing whether to thank him or curse him. He’d saved her life, or piece of it anyways. 

If she had his words, she could have written a stirring song about this. All she had to say about it were expletives.

She wondered if death could be as bad as the life she saw ahead of her. That was enough self pity, it was time to try life the arathim way. She wasn’t dead yet. 

\---

And she did, she made this strange creature’s life her own. With understanding friends, and a deep sense of purpose she found something to live for. And of course, there was Onica. They had a love pieced together from stolen evenings seasons together and apart. Parting only to make the coming together sweeter. Each return deepened the bond and made the promise to sail away together more urgent. Now they were so deeply entwined that she saw beyond her body. It was madness, Tavra thought. It helped that Onica was comfortable with the supernatural. She never questioned Tavra and accepted her from the moment she saw her.

And now there would be no more parting. There were so many nights that Tavra longed to hold her love tight, and now she had all the nights but no arms to hold. So she slept in her hair beside her ear where she could feel the radiant warmth of her skin and the tremor of her pulse.

She was small but they still had work to do. Now Kylan the song teller had done something else remarkable, he had etched symbols into a wall. The wall of Destiny as Onica had called it. They had to record it and understand it. They would work together to understand what the future held for their world. A small group remained here in the forest to understand what it all meant. They each put their talents to work. Kylan and Onica had help from her sister Brea in copying and interpreting the prophecy. Seeing Onica work side by side with Brea was fascinating.

“Often water in a prophecy is more about flow or fluidity than actual water” Onica explained to the little princess.

“So it would describe something like time? Oh or maybe growth?”

“Think broader, change would be a good place to start, metamorphosis, your idea’s are good just don’t get stuck on one thing, keep an open mind,”

The words seemed to get bigger the longer they talked. Tavra felt a little out of place among the three thinkers. Kylan had a quieter enthusiasm than Brea.

One afternoon when Brea and Onica were having one of their discussions there was a violent commotion in the brush nearby. There was a growl and a snapping in the bushes. Tavra leapt onto Onica’s shoulder. She bared her fangs, ready for a fight, as one fizzgig chased another passed their feet. Brea shouted and stepped back, and Kylan shouted louder hiding behind Onica. The angry furballs continued their fight in the brush. She could hear their growls and yaps reverberating in the forest.

Eventually the noise was joined by laughing as Rian and Deet returned with water from the river. They weren’t panicked and didn’t spill any of their cargo. Kylan was still hiding behind Onica as the approached.

This was a problem, Tavra thought. She could not protect the ones she loved. The incident bothered her. As the others stopped for a drink, she scurried off to think.

Brea looked into her cup “Erosion, trade, migration, they all flow”

Onica smiled, “Very true, but in this case, it really is just water,” she took a sip.

Kylan walked over to Tavra, he had been bothered by the incident too. Before he sipped some water he dipped a finger in his cup and got a droplet for his beloved friend. She held the droplet, a perfect little marble.

“Kylan, I knew from a young age that I wasn’t like my sisters, my strength has never been what I could learn but how I could fight. And now, I have no strength. If those little pests fighting in the brush had been a real threat, I would have been helpless to stop them.”

Kylan sighed, “I know what you mean, about feeling helpless that is,” he knew he would never know what it was like to be separated from his own body as Tavra was.

“Knowledge flows! From the teacher to the student,” They overheard Brea shout excitedly.

“Sure,” Onica replied.

“When it’s just us, there’s no one to protect Brea,” Kylan said, “or Onica either,” he added.

“Well, Onica can handle herself, I’m more worried about you and Brea,” the little spider said.

Kylan felt like he could cry but that would only prove Tavra’s point more, he was hopeless in a fight.

She noticed he had stopped talking, and looked up to see his massive sad face. She wondered if it was something she said.

“You really aren’t helpless you know, you and Rian are not all that different, it’s just about training,” then she had an idea.

“It’s not though, it’s about bravery, and natural ability, two things I don’t have,”

“Both can be fixed with training. When you know your abilities and believe in them, that’s when bravery begins to really shine. You may never be a Jarra-Jen but you will be able to protect the ones you love,” she finishd her droplet.

Kylan looked up into the canopy and imagined that the Tavra who sat beside him was whole. That she was the beautiful Silverling he remembered.

“Better yet, you don’t have to believe me, I’ll show you,” she said.

**Author's Note:**

> This story takes place as the remaining members of the resistance stay behind at the Wall of Destiny and they try to understand it's meaning
> 
> I usually like to proofread something a million times over before posting, however this is a rough work that might not get posted otherwise (too much going on)
> 
> More chapter to come


End file.
